The CrashPad has been visited by amazing performers and artists over the years. Recently we were introduced to Figs, a local Bay Area porn star, stripper and Burlesque performer, artist and poet, and pro-slut! (Aren’t we all!) They are a gallery curator and maker of fine BDSM paddles. (And SO much more.)

After their gorgeous scene with Chelsea Poe, we were lucky to get some time with them for a quick interview to learn more about their passions and perversions. Without further ado… here’s our spotlight with Figs!

CrashPad: How did Figs and your fantasies come to be?

Figs: “Figs” is an iteration of the moniker I used to produce Gallery shows and events. I’ve always seen the fantastical in the mundane and every day and all of my work from writing to visual art to my erotic work centers the Fantastic moments we find in our day-to-day lives. It’s easy to take day to day moments and the ways in which we relate to the people in our lives for granted. Both in my art and in my erotic work, I try to highlight the magic, fantasy and beauty that is a consistent thread through our lives.

CP: Who are your favorite artists, and how does their work inspire you?

Figs: One of my greatest influences and allies in porn, art, and sex work in general is Bay Area queer porn legend, Courtney Trouble. Courtney has been a massive supporter of my art and has enthusiastically helped me produce some of my more wild and out there ideas. I’m so grateful for the community of queer sex workers I have in the Bay Area. They have allowed me an opportunity to interact with sex work in an empowering way that wasn’t previously accessible to me. It is also incredible to get to shoot with Chelsea Poe for CrashPad. I also feel incredibly lucky to be able to work with the crew who throws the most fantastical, luxurious, and hedonistic play parties in the Bay, Dykes of Darkness produced by Annie Rose Malamet, who also hosts the podcast Girls, Guts, and Giallo. Her parties are everything that you always hope a sex party will be but almost never are. If you are a leather queer, a sex worker, a dyke, a film freak or an ally of any of those groups I highly recommend checking out Courtney Trouble and Annie Rose Malamet’s work!

CP: What did you love most about your CrashPad scene?

Figs: Working with CrashPad was such a wonderful experience, I’ve known about CrashPad since I was a horny porn watching queer teenager. It was such a wonderful experience to work with someone with as much experience and acclaim as Chelsea Poe. I wanted the scene to reflect my experience as a pro-domme, and walk the line between fantasy and authenticity to offer inspiration for the ways in which we can engage in sex and sexual activity in our real lives. I really enjoyed getting to know my cast mate, the post shoot interview was so much fun, I feel like we covered so many important topics and it gave me so much to think and write about.

CP: Can you tell us more about your beautiful paddles?

Figs: I started creating art paddles to marry my work as an artist with my work as a sex worker. While I love creating large and intricate paintings, the cost of these pieces of art are typically not accessible to the members of my community. The price at which I have to sell these paintings frequently excludes queer people and sex workers from being able to possess or engage with my art in an intimate way. My art paddles are a cost accessible way to engage with my art while simultaneously obtaining a prized and functional item that you can either use in your work or in your real life as a sexual being who engages in sado-masochism or other BDSM practices.

In all of my work, I like to marry the fantastical and the functional. While these pieces may look lovely on a wall, the true experience of the paddle is for it to be used for the art on both sides: to be seen and to make a literal impact on the body. When designing my paddles I like to incorporate Victorian floriography, a secret language of flowers used to communicate messages between lovers in a time and a space where sexual repression reigned. My paddles can be used to offer a message and intention to the user or to the submissive. I do take custom paddle commissions, you can reach out to me through my website or through Instagram in order to make your fantasy paddle a reality.

CP: Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us! Please, tell the people where we can find you and your work?

Figs: You can find me at @figs.fantasy on Instagram, at figsfantasy.bsky.social on BlueSky, at @figsfantasy on OnlyFans, and you can find out more about by practice on my website: aquatofanacollective.net. I have some upcoming projects and performances I am really excited about! Updates will be posted on my socials and I’m so excited to share them with all of you!

CP: Thank you Figs! Watch their scene with Chelsea Poe and look forward to more of their work.

Featured images courtesy Figs Fantasy and CrashPadSeries.com.